Iced Lavender Oat Milk Latte:

At first glance, this drink looked pleasantly appetizing. The small hints of lavender I smelled before taking my first sip were light and refreshing. But don’t let it fool you. While the coffee itself is silky and sweet, the aftertaste of lavender is sickening. My fellow tester, my mom, was convinced they hadn’t rinsed all of the soap out of the cup before we tried it. The taste of coffee, oatmilk, and lavender didn’t blend at all and the lavender seemed to overpower any flavor an oatmilk latte would have. The best rating I can give this drink is a 4.3/10 for its smooth texture, but it was definitely not an item I would order again.

Iced Lavender Matcha Latte:

Wow! For this one, the presentation stuck out to me the most, as it looked exactly like the picture. The light purple cold foam resting on a sage green drink screamed spring to me. The matcha complimented the lavender splendidly as if they were old friends reuniting. The sweet undertones of lavender oatmilk, mixed with the earthy tones of the matcha transported me to a sunny spring morning filled with dewy grass. Considering it was a matcha drink it was surprisingly buttery and creamy. I feel Starbucks highlighted all the aspects of a refreshing, lavender filled drink we wanted to see. I rate this an 8.6/10, good job Starbucks!

Lavender Frappuccino:

I didn’t know Starbucks started making air fresheners! I had high hopes for this drink after tasting the whipped cream, which was sprinkled with a lavender sugar powdery that added a mystical glow to the appearance. The drink itself was abysmal and practically had me convinced someone’s lavender perfume got sprayed into it. I don’t think Starbucks accounted for how flavorful lavender syrup is, and I don’t believe it can function on its own in a frozen drink. I am a huge fan of Starbucks’ past seasonal frappuccinos like the Smores, Unicorn, Red Velvet Cake Cream, and many more that just fit the time period when they were released. I expect Lavender Frappuccino to be a seasonal scent at Yankee Candle, but it just doesn’t work in a cold drink. I rate this a 1/10 just for the magical whipped cream on top.

Strawberry Acai Lavender Lemonade Refresher (off menu):

Strawberry Acai Lemonade Refreshers have been a best seller at Starbucks for the past few years now. Naturally, when I saw a TikTok of someone adding the new lavender powder to their order I had to try it. All I can say is meh. The first few sips were great, I loved how the lavender complemented the flavors of strawberry, the last few sips however had me feeling nauseous. Just like every other drink I tried I couldn’t help but feel like the drink had soap residue. I rate this a 7.7/10.

Overall:

I expected much more from the spring menu. I was pleasantly surprised with what Starbucks did this winter and was ecstatic to try these new spring concoctions. Realistically, Starbucks should save the lavender flavor for teas, and try to target their younger customers more. I can’t help but feel like Starbucks tried to make a mature jump this season, appealing more to an older crowd with the European floral choices, but they failed miserably. I won’t shed a tear for these drinks, but that iced gingerbread chai tea latte? That’s the one that’s going to haunt my dreams.